Las verduras y frutas:

You may have noticed that Mexican art and style includes a great deal of vibrant colors.  I believe the root or reason for the beautiful deep hues in the various art forms are due to the colorful and fresh fruits and vegetables that are readily available in the streets and markets.  I've selected a few images that I hope demonstrate the vibrancy of the food and culture in Mexico.

Vendedor de Chiles

I passed the elderly gentleman above every weekday on my way to class and he always had serrano peppers/chiles that were as beautiful as these.

Tienda de Abarrotes = Grocery Store

 The picture above was taken at the local market that Marta frequently bought produce from.

Chiles y Frijoles

Diferentes típos de Frijoles

Nopal - A type of edible cactus 

These nopales are quite large since they take up the entire 5-gallon bucket they were placed in. Before selling the vendor would carefully remove the spines with a sharp knife.  Nopales are very nutritious and have significant amounts of protein and studies have shown that the health of people with Diabetes is aided by regularly eating them.

Maíz - Corn

Corn is native to Mexico and was cultivated for thousands of years by the Maya and Azteca.  We, in Central Illinois can be thankful for their genius and effort to cultivate a crop that is so important to the modern world.  There are native myths and legends that surround corn and how it was a gift from the gods (similar to fire coming from Prometheus).

Varias Frutas - MMMM...DELICIOSA

Pitayas - Dragon Fruit

Pitayas are fruits produced by a type of cactus and it is native to Mexico, Central, and South America.  It would be another food that the New World gave to the whole world.

Chayote

Chayotes are sometimes referred to as pear squash and that is a good description of what it tastes like (Pear + Squash).  However, I think they taste more like honey dew melon and zuchini type squash combined.  They too are native to Mexico. 

Below:  You can see a choyote-veggie mixture below along with rice, and beef with chick-peas.  This was tasty and healthy!